Breakdown of Wij hebben mooie vazen en jij moet er drie blauwe kiezen.
jij
you
en
and
wij
we
hebben
to have
drie
three
mooi
beautiful
kiezen
to choose
blauw
blue
moeten
to have to, must
er
of them (with a number or quantity)
de vaas
the vase
Questions & Answers about Wij hebben mooie vazen en jij moet er drie blauwe kiezen.
Why do we need er in the second part of the sentence?
This is the quantitative er. Whenever you state a quantity (like drie) but leave out the noun it refers to (vazen), you must use er. It works like saying 'of them' in English: 'you must choose three [of them].'
How does Dutch handle the English word 'ones' in 'three blue ones'?
Dutch doesn't use a direct translation for 'ones'. Instead, you just combine the quantitative er, the number (drie), and the adjective (blauwe). The noun is simply dropped.
Why does blauw have an -e added to it here?
Even though the noun (vazen) is omitted, the adjective still 'remembers' it. Because vazen is plural, the adjective takes the standard -e ending for plural nouns, becoming blauwe.
Why is er placed right after moet instead of next to drie?
Although er logically belongs with drie blauwe, the word er is a bit of a magnet for the front of the sentence. As a general rule, it jumps as early as possible in the clause, typically landing right after the finite verb (moet) or the subject.
Why are Wij and jij used instead of the unstressed We and je?
Using the stressed pronouns Wij and jij creates a strong contrast between the two subjects: 'We have beautiful vases, and you must choose.'
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